Orange County Register

That Strega Nona must have cast a spell over us when we were watching her musical last night at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. My boys and I left the theater with an incredible amount of energy. “It was magical fun,” exclaimed my six-year-old, Gino.

This lively musical is based on the Tomie dePaola’s popular children’s classic “Strega Nona.” The story takes place in the little Italian town of Calabria, where Strega Nona , a good hearted witch, is known for helping her town’s people overcome problems.

Needing a little help herself, Strega Nona hires Big Anthony, who can’t resist sneaking a peek at her magical book. While she is gone, he ends up with a pasta pot that threatens to engulf the entire town with spaghetti, or maybe that’s linguine.

The fun even started before the performance, when the kids were treated to all kinds of activities that included making crazy things out of pasta, playing games, and drawing pictures on easels. It was a great warm-up to a perfect family evening.

I must admit, the opening number of the play startled me. The entire cast came out like thunder — singing and dancing away. The kids loved it. I loved how Italian, one of my favorite languages, was incorporated into the production.

From the moment the theater went dark the show was nonstop entertainment. There was never a lull and I didn’t spy one child getting antsy. As I looked around, the younger set was literally on the edge of their seats.

Although the production is recommended for children ages 4-8, this grown-up was just as enthralled by the gorgeous singing voices and talent of the actors. There’s something incredibly inspiring about live theater — the singing, the dancing, and the fascinating characters that pull us out of ourselves and into their world.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching my two sons, ages 5 and 6, being captivated by this live performance.

After the show we were delighted to see the actors waiting in the lobby for the audience. Since the play took place in the Samueli Theater, a wonderfully intimate venue, the kids had the opportunity to meet the actors while parents snapped photos.  My usually shy son was determined to meet each actor –  a goal that was easily accomplished, since the cast lingered until everyone had a chance to say hello.

As we left the theater, I wasn’t ready to run off to the parking lot just yet. We sat ourselves down on a small concrete wall outside the doors and talked about our experience. “It just made me feel so good,” Gino explained.  My 5-year-old, Nick, showed his enthusiasm non-verbally by dancing around.

Sitting a few feet away from us was a gentleman who asked my boys if they would ever want to become actors.  Gino was quick to explain that he was already an actor since playing Augustus Gloop in the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” production at our local Boys and Girls Club.

The gentleman told us that his son was one of the actors in the musical – “the baker with the bunion as big as an onion.” He went on to tell me that seeing my boys reminded him of how his son started out – just like mine, in a small local production.  And now he is a professional actor. I could tell by the look on his face that this man was a proud father. And I was a proud mom, as my boys bounced around pretending to be actors.  Yep, that Strega Nona had placed a spell over all us. At that moment, we were all feeling the magic.

Bringing a total of six beloved children’s books to the stage, Strega Nona is the first production of The Orange County Performing Arts Center’s 2009-2010 Family Series.  For more information visit OCPAC.org

Photos by Cheryl A. Guerrero, for the Orange County Register

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